Radiator valves

ABSTRACT

A radiator valve has a housing with a displaceable valve stem in a passage, one end of which has a valve seat controlled by a valve member on the stem and the other end of which is controlled by a throttle element on the stem and which passage is connected between its ends with an inlet connection for hot water supply for dividing the inlet flow of hot water in one stream passing past the valve member to a feed outlet connected to the radiator inlet, and one stream passing past the throttle element to a return chamber and to an outlet pipe connection while bypassing the radiator, the return chamber being connected with a return inlet from the radiator.

United States Patent Inventors Sven David Ferdinand Nilsson;

Kurt Rune Gllmrnerfors, both 0! Markaryd, Sweden Appl. No. 866,464 Filed Oct. 15, 1969 Patented Nov. 9, 1971 Assignee Aktlebolaget Markaryds Metallarmatur Markaryd, Sweden Priority Oct. 22, 1968 Sweden 14,243/68 RADIATOR VALVES 4 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

U.S. Cl 237/59, 1 3 7/5 99 Int. Cl F2441 3/00 Field of Search 237/59;

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,191,862 6/1965 Wobig 236/43 3,398.89] 8/1968 Horne 236/18 3,211,375 10/1965 Prokupek 237/59 Primary Examiner-Edward J. Michael Attorneys-Ralph E. Bucknam, Jesse D. Reingold. Robert R Strack and Henry A. Marzullo, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A radiator valve has a housing with a displaceable valve stem in a passage, one end of which has a valve seat controlled by a valve member on the stem and the other end of which is controlled by a throttle element on the stem and which passage is connected between its ends with an inlet connection for hot water supply for dividing the inlet flow of hot water in one stream passing past the valve member to a feed outlet connected to the radiator inlet, and one stream passing past the throttle element to a return chamber and to an outlet pipe connection while bypassing the radiator, the return chamber being connected with a return inlet from the radiator PATENTEBunv 9 mu 4 Al/lg mm "mi-ll mull This invention relates to a radiator valve.

in single-pipe system central heating installations it is previously known to use a radiator valve comprising a housing having an inlet connection to which a hot water supply pipe can be connected, an outlet connection to which an outlet pipe can be connected, a feed outlet for leading hot water to a radiator, a return inlet for receiving return water from the radiator, a feed chamber for leading hot water from the inlet connection to the feed outlet, a return chamber communicating with the outlet connection and the return inlet, and a valve seat disposed between the feed chamber and the return chamber and controllable by means of a valve member on a valve stem for controlling the proportion of hot water flowing from the inlet connection to the radiator in relation to the proportion of hot water flowing from the inlet connection directly to the outlet connection while bypassing the radiator. in the prior art valves of this type the flow resistance and the control resistance are so large that they cannot be controlled by means of a thermostat which directly acts upon the valve stem, and the flow resistance considerably varies with the control position into which the valve is set, which has a disturbing effeet on the other radiators and valves which are connected in the system.

The present invention aims at avoiding the drawbacks outlined in the foregoing by providing a radiator valve which is characterized in that a passage is arranged between the feed chamber and the return chamber, that the end of the passage facing the feed chamber is provided with the valve seat, that the valve stem extends from the valve member through the passage and carries, adjacent the end of the passage facing the return chamber, a throttle element which is insertable with clearance in said passage, and that the inlet connection is in communication with the passage between the ends thereof.

The inventive arrangement reduces both the flow resistance and the control resistance to so low values that the radiator valve can be controlled by conventional thermostats directly actuating the valve stem, and the flow resistance is kept substantially constant within the entire control range of the radiator valve.

The invention will be more fully described in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which shows a section of an embodiment of a radiator valve according to the invention.

The radiator valve illustrated in the drawing has a valve housing 1 with an inlet connection 2 and an outlet connection 3. The inlet connection 2 is connectable with a hot water supply pipe (not shown) of a central heating installation by means of a conventional union nut 4 and a deformable annulus 5. The outlet connection 3 is connectable by means of a similar union nut 6 and annulus 7 to an outlet pipe (not shown) leading to another identical radiator valve or to a water heater. The valve housing also has a feed outlet 8 for leading hot water to a radiator (not shown) and a return inlet 9 for receiving return water from the radiator. In the embodi- .nent illustrated the feed outlet 8 and the return inlet 9 are combined in conventional manner to form a single connecting socket to of the valve housing, to which socket a single pipe 11 leading to the radiator is connected by means of a coupling nut 12. The pipe 11 extends in an upward direction from the valve and is connected to the underside of the radiator. The feed outlet 8 and the return inlet 9 are kept separated from one another in the interior of the valve housing 1 and the pipe 11 by a dividing tongue 13.

Arranged in the interior of the valve housing 1 is a feed chamber 14 which is in direct communication with the feed outlet 8. Moreover, the valve housing 1 includes a return chamber 15 which is in direct communication with the outlet connection 3 and the return inlet 9 and is separated from the feed chamber 14 by means of the dividing tongue 13 and a partition 16 in the valve housing. Secured in the partition 16 is a cylindrical sleeve 17 constituting a communication passage between the feed chamber 14 and the return chamber 15.

Formed in the wall of the sleeve 17 between the ends thereof is an opening is which is in communication with the inlet connection 2 through a supply passage li in the valve housing so that all hot water from the inlet pipe is supplied to the interior of the sleeve 17. A valve seat 20 for a valve member 22 on a valve stem 21 is formed in the end of the sleeve 17 facing the feed chamber is. The valve stem 21 extends from the valve member 22 through the sleeve 37 and carries adjacent to the end of the sleeve facing the return chamber 15 a throttle element 23 which is insertable with clearance into the sleeve. Said throttle element has a boundary wall 24 which conically tapers into the sleeve 17.

From the side of the valve member 22 facing away from the sleeve 17, the valve stem 21 projects out of the valve housing 1 through a socket 25. A sleeve 26 is screwed into said socket 25 and the inner end of the sleeve 26 is closed by means of a cover 27 through which the valve stem 21 passes. The sleeve 26 accommodates a movable cup 28 through which the valve stem 21 passes. Inserted in the sleeve 26 between the cover 27 and the cup 28 is a pressure spring 29 which tends to urge the cup 28 against a shoulder on the sleeve 26. The valve stem 21 has an annular abutment 30 which is kept applied against the cup 28 by a guiding force exerted on the end of the valve stem projecting from the valve housing. The end portion of the valve stem 21 that extends out of the valve housing from the annular abutment 3% passes through a sleeve M which is screwed into the sleeve 26 and is provided with sealing means 32 and 33. when the pressure spring 29 keeps the cup 28 urged against the shoulder of the sleeve 26, as shown in the drawing, the valve member 22 is spaced a maximum distance from the valve seat 20. This distance can be adjusted at will by screwing the sleeve 26 more or less into the socket 25. A sealing ring 34 ensures sealing between the sleeve 26 and the socket 25. The fastening for a control handwheel or a thermostat can be screwed in conventional manner onto the external threads 35 of the socket 25, and said control handwheel or thermostat is adapted to exert the above-mentioned guiding force in conventional manner on the end of the valve stem 21 projecting from the valve housing. This guiding force can be made so large as to overcome the force of the pressure spring 29 and to shift the valve stem to the left as viewed in the drawing for moving the valve member 22 towards the valve seat 20 and finally for pressing the valve member against said seat, whereby the feed chamber 14 is cut ofl from direct communication with the interior of the sleeve 17.

When the valve occupies the fully open position illustrated in the drawing the hot water entering through the inlet connection 2 will, in the sleeve 17, divide into two part streams. One part stream flows around the throttle element 23 directly to the return chamber l5 and the outlet connection 3, while the other part stream flows through the valve seat 20 to the feed chamber 14 and from there to the radiator, and having passed through the radiator it will be returned through the return inlet 9 to flow through the return chamber 15 to the outlet connection 3. The part stream flowing from the sleeve 17 around the throttle element 23 will enter the return chamber in the same sense as the water coming from the return inlet 9 and will flow together with said water to the outlet connection 3 while exerting an injector effect upon the water coming from the radiator. This injector effect will decrease the total flow resistance for the water passing through the radiator. The part streams leaving the sleeve in opposite directions exert pressure on the surface of the valve member 22 facing the valve seat 20 and on the surface 24 of the throttle element 23, and these oppositely directed pressures are approximately equally large so that the pressure spring 29 acting in the opening direction can be made relatively weak, whereby the guiding force acting upon the valve stein 21 in the closing direction can be made relatively small. As a result, the guiding force can be exerted by a thermostat directly acting upon the valve stem. When said guiding force overcomes the force of the pressure spring 29 the valve stem 21 will be moved in a sense in which the valve member 22 approaches the valve seat 20 so that the part stream flowing from the sleeve 17 to the radiator is reduced, while the part stream flowing from the sleeve 17 to the return chamber 15 is increased. The valve is preferably so dimensioned that one part stream is reduced substantially as much as the other part stream is increased, whereby the water volume entering the inlet connection 2 per unit of time will be substantially equally large in all positions into which the valve stem is set. When the valve member 22 engages the valve seat 20 the part stream through the radiator ceases and all water entering through the inlet connection 2 flows directly into the return chamber 15 and escapes through the outlet connection 3. At fully open position of the valve the conical surface 24 of the throttle element 23 has been moved so far into the sleeve l7 that the throttle element 23 exerts a large throttling effect upon the part stream flowing from the inlet connection 2 directly to the outlet connection 3 in order to positively provide a large part stream through the valve seat 20 to and through the radiator, whereas the conical surface 24 of the throttle element 23 is moved almost altogether out of the sleeve 17 when the valve member 22 bears against the valve seat 20 so that the throttle element exerts a relatively small resistance to the flow of water from the inlet connection 2 through the sleeve 17 to the outlet connection 3.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A radiator valve comprising a housing, an inlet connection in said housing for hot water supply, an outlet pipe connection in said housing, said housing defining a fixed feed outlet for leading hot water to a radiator, said housing also defining a fixed return inlet for receiving return water from the radiator, a feed chamber in said housing for leading hot water from said inlet connection to said feed outlet, a return chamber in said housing permanently communicating with said outlet pipe connection and said return inlet, passage means in said housing forming a passage between said feed chamber and said return chamber, said inlet connection being in communication with the passage between the ends of said passage means, a valve seat on the end of said passage means facing said feed chamber, a valve stem displaceably mounted in said housing, a valve member on said valve stem cooperating with said valve seat for controlling the proportion of hot water flowing from said inlet connection through the passage, formed by said passage means, and between said valve member and said valve seat to said feed chamber and onwards to the radiator in relation to the proportion of hot water flowing from said inlet connection through the passage, formed by said passage means, and said return chamber to said outlet pipe connection while bypassing the radiator, said valve stem extending from said valve member through the passage formed by said passage means, and a throttle element carried by said valve stem adjacent the end of said passage means facing said return chamber, said throttle element being insertable with clearance in the passage formed by said passage means by displacement of said valve stem.

2. A radiator valve according to claim 1 in which said throttle element has a boundary wall conically tapering into the passage formed by said passage means.

3. A radiator valve according to claim 1 which the passage formed by said passage means, said throttle element, and said return chamber are shaped and arranged so that hot water entering said return chamber from the passage, formed by said passage means, and coming from said inlet connection flows in substantially the same direction as water flowing through said return chamber and coming from said return inlet and towards said outlet pipe connection while etfecting injector action upon said last-mentioned water.

4. A radiator valve according to claim 1 wherein said passage means comprises a cylindrical sleeve having one longitudinal end opening into said feed chamber and the other longitudinal end opening into said return chamber, said cylindrical sleeve having an opening intermediate its longitudinal ends communicating with said inlet connection whereby hot water entering said cylindrical sleeve from said inlet connection can flow to said fees clgamgier and to said return chamber. 

1. A radiator valve comprising a housing, an inlet connection in said housing for hot water supply, an outlet pipe connection in said housing, said housing defining a fixed feed outlet for leading hot water to a radiator, said housing also defining a fixed return inlet for receiving return water from the radiator, a feed chamber in said housing for leading hot water from said inlet connection to said feed outlet, a return chamber in said housing permanently communicating with said outlet pipe connection and said return inlet, passage means in said housing forming a passage between said feed chamber and said return chamber, said inlet connection being in communication with the passage between the ends of Said passage means, a valve seat on the end of said passage means facing said feed chamber, a valve stem displaceably mounted in said housing, a valve member on said valve stem cooperating with said valve seat for controlling the proportion of hot water flowing from said inlet connection through the passage, formed by said passage means, and between said valve member and said valve seat to said feed chamber and onwards to the radiator in relation to the proportion of hot water flowing from said inlet connection through the passage, formed by said passage means, and said return chamber to said outlet pipe connection while bypassing the radiator, said valve stem extending from said valve member through the passage formed by said passage means, and a throttle element carried by said valve stem adjacent the end of said passage means facing said return chamber, said throttle element being insertable with clearance in the passage formed by said passage means by displacement of said valve stem.
 2. A radiator valve according to claim 1 in which said throttle element has a boundary wall conically tapering into the passage formed by said passage means.
 3. A radiator valve according to claim 1 in which the passage formed by said passage means, said throttle element, and said return chamber are shaped and arranged so that hot water entering said return chamber from the passage, formed by said passage means, and coming from said inlet connection flows in substantially the same direction as water flowing through said return chamber and coming from said return inlet and towards said outlet pipe connection while effecting injector action upon said last-mentioned water.
 4. A radiator valve according to claim 1 wherein said passage means comprises a cylindrical sleeve having one longitudinal end opening into said feed chamber and the other longitudinal end opening into said return chamber, said cylindrical sleeve having an opening intermediate its longitudinal ends communicating with said inlet connection whereby hot water entering said cylindrical sleeve from said inlet connection can flow to said feed chamber and to said return chamber. 